thanks for your input @bobcat999, yeah i agree with all you said and i also think it's only needed for very few addons so that's also why that global renaming thing is probably not the best solution.

maybe it's already clear for you, but just for info, to do that little renaming, i added in a previous version the possibility to rename the link only. If you click on an addon and use the 'set custom description / link /symbolic link' you will be able to set the name of the symbolic link (click on the thre dots).

This will allow you to keep the original name in your folder structures, but just have the link renamed (and that will be applied everytime you enable/disable the addon). Obviously renaming the source folder would have the same effect so it's certainly not a groudbreaking feature, but well just if you want to keep original names for your addons. If one day you update those addons with the same name, the renamed link would be kept and you wouldn't have to worry about renaming again. Hopefully not too confusing 🙃

Thanks again !

30 minutes ago, Bad_T said:

thanks for your input @bobcat999, yeah i agree with all you said and i also think it's only needed for very few addons so that's also why that global renaming thing is probably not the best solution.

maybe it's already clear for you, but just for info, to do that little renaming, i added in a previous version the possibility to rename the link only. If you click on an addon and use the 'set custom description / link /symbolic link' you will be able to set the name of the symbolic link (click on the thre dots).

This will allow you to keep the original name in your folder structures, but just have the link renamed (and that will be applied everytime you enable/disable the addon). Obviously renaming the source folder would have the same effect so it's certainly not a groudbreaking feature, but well just if you want to keep original names for your addons. If one day you update those addons with the same name, the renamed link would be kept and you wouldn't have to worry about renaming again. Hopefully not too confusing 🙃

Thanks again !

 

 

 

 

 

Bad_t

Please don't change anything If someone want to load their scenery in a certain order they can rename the folder 1_name, 2_name and so on.

My question is why does anyone need to reorder scenery anyway. Seems to the whole purpose of Addon Linker is to load ONLY the scenery, mods, ect that you need for a specific flight to reduce load times, memory usage, scenery conflicts, isolate and eliminate bad addons that cause crashes. The only reasons I can think of are scenery in the same area Like Hong Kong and Kaitak and you could easily rename those permanently to load a specific way

Addon Linker is great the way it is. If you are looking for a way to improve it. Set up a way to create custom icons to load presets, dark mode, Resize toolbar. But you dont even have to do that.

Its the best addon for MSFS I have thanks again

Regards

Edited January 17, 20215 yr by Denwagg

@Denwagg,i think the reordering is needed for some addons that really require one to be loaded before the other to work correctly (possible conflicts as you said, maybe you have an addon that changes stuff in a big region an another addon that change little details in a more detailed way within a small part of that same region and it would need to be loaded after to other), but yes it's a marginal situation but it can happen. This can be managed manually by renaming the folder or with the little options explained above. I think most of us come from p3d where ordering of scenery was something we all had built-in in our mind, so now there's probably some mental-need (at least i think i felt that at one point 🙃) to reproduce that with msfs. It's a fact though that the alphabetical way of loading has some drawbacks, they probably didn't spend much time on it as it was probably not their priority (guess they a tons of things to work on that were way more important than addons loading before releasing the new sim, certainly understandable 😉)

and dont worry, i won't change things unless i'm sure it will no interfere with the way current users use and appreciate the program.

thanks again for your nice feedback as always.

Edited January 17, 20215 yr by Bad_T

50 minutes ago, Bad_T said:

thanks for your input @bobcat999, yeah i agree with all you said and i also think it's only needed for very few addons so that's also why that global renaming thing is probably not the best solution.

maybe it's already clear for you, but just for info, to do that little renaming, i added in a previous version the possibility to rename the link only. If you click on an addon and use the 'set custom description / link /symbolic link' you will be able to set the name of the symbolic link (click on the thre dots).

This will allow you to keep the original name in your folder structures, but just have the link renamed (and that will be applied everytime you enable/disable the addon). Obviously renaming the source folder would have the same effect so it's certainly not a groudbreaking feature, but well just if you want to keep original names for your addons. If one day you update those addons with the same name, the renamed link would be kept and you wouldn't have to worry about renaming again. Hopefully not too confusing 🙃

Thanks! - Superb feature. I didn't notice that! 

29 minutes ago, Denwagg said:

If you are looking for a way to improve it. Set up a way to create custom icons to load presets, dark mode, Resize toolbar. But you dont even have to do that.

dark mode is available in options screen already if needed 😉 .. resize toolbar and custom icons not sure what you mean in detail.

 

1 minute ago, Bad_T said:

dark mode is available in options screen already if needed 😉 .. resize toolbar and custom icons not sure what you mean in detail.

Well just shoot my feet

I found it just now. Came back here to say Nevermind the dark mode

Bad_T thanks again

Regards

 

My first comment here in this topic, so a MASSIVE thank you to Bad_T for this superb utility!

I have one major problem: ENCRYPTION.

Prior to my [first/only] install of the Linker, I had around 44Gb (yes!!) of content in my Community folder. Having done a little bit of research, I copied all that content to a different location (different drive). However - the Linker was having problems reading the json and xml files so wasn't working fully.

On investigation, I found that copying the files retained the original encryption (which I suspect is due to MS Store DRM protection). Though I could delete any of the files, I couldn't view them or edit them in any way (much as when they were in the original Community folder). I'm logged in as Admin, with full admin rights, BTW.

@andy1252 says this encryption can be removed:

I'd love to know how this was achieved, as I tried all sorts of tricks, CMD commands, changing ownership ... you name it. Simply un-checking the "Encrypted" box in "Properties" brings up a Windows permissions error.

I have a friend with a similarly bloated Community folder - and a quick test of one livery confirmed he had the same problem. The copied file retained the original encryption and can't be used by the Linker.

I'm part way through recreating my Community content from original downloads, but it's a long process (at least I can prune as I go!). With the newly created content, the Linker works beautifully.

I suspect there'll be many users out there that come to this excellent utility late in the day - with a fair bit of content already installed in their Community folders - is there a simple solution to this [encryption] problem?

Adam.

thank you for your feedback, and yes @Adamski_NZ, this issue with 'encryption' is annoying (or whatever it is, maybe it's just permissions issues and not encryption, i never had the problem myself so i could not really see it 'first hand'). I think maybe it would have worked if you had copied the files and then deleted them in the community folder instead of moving them (but reading your message it seems you have tested that already to and i didn't work, i'm not sure i understand correctly, for some people copy or move means the same)

so when you say ' copying the files retained the original encryption ' you really used the 'copy' option and not the 'move' options ? sorry if it's obvious but i have to be 150% sure of that because i had a few users that told me 'copy' and it turned out later that they had 'moved' the files 😉

i'm usure in what situation you are now, have you moved everything back in the community folder ? Then try to copy (not move) the files from 1 addon only to your addons folder and delete that addon from the community folder ?

To avoid moving lots of files, you should really try with one addon only and make sure it works properly before going too far.

Also please just confirm that if you download a new addon and you install it straight in your custom addons folder it will work without problem (to make sure there are no other problems). Check that there are no error msg in the tool and that the newly installed addon is working inside the sim when 'linked'.

If you have done this, you would have 1 addon installed directly in the folder that works, and the one you copied from the community folder that doesnt work. Check their properties and check you if you see something different (security tab, and advanced button to see ownershop). Try also opening the manifest.json file, can you open it and read it with notepad for both addons, it should be 'plain text' and not be encrypted ?

in the tool you can also enable the log in the options screen. Restart the tool and then check the log.txt file located here C:\ProgramData\MSFS Addons Linker folder. It should tell you if it has problem reading the manifest.json files (like 'can not read file, permission denied' or something like that)

hopefully we'll find a solution, but it might take a few precise steps to pinpoint exactly what's happening. if you're in NZ we might have huge timezone difference (i'm CET) so it might not be easy to have quick replies, sorry in advance.

hopefully it's not too confusing, let me know thank you. 🍻

Edited January 21, 20215 yr by Bad_T

Thanks for the great tool!

I cant seem to find a way to just select addons and have them enabled or disabled.

The only way i found is to filter from the Grid the addons i need and then disable/enable visible, which i find rather cumbersome.

I want to be able to select with control or shift or just click the check mark and then enable or disable only these addons. Is there any such way?

 

 

I tried something and it worked. I just select them and then just press space and does exactly what i need....

@earthdog, thank you for your feedback and glad you could sort it out, yes you can multi-select by holding the 'CTRL' key and then clicking on the little checkbox and will select all the ones selected (or spacebar like you said should do the same).

Probably you know already, but you can also use presets if you need to often select the same groups of addons. With preset you would be able to enable them without the need to reselect them each time.

12 minutes ago, Bad_T said:

@earthdog, thank you for your feedback and glad you could sort it out, yes you can multi-select by holding the 'CTRL' key and then clicking on the little checkbox and will select all the ones selected (or spacebar like you said should do the same).

Probably you know already, but you can also use presets if you need to often select the same groups of addons. With preset you would be able to enable them without the need to reselect them each time.

Not exactly cause when you need to debug what scenery causes a CTD you cant play with presets.... You go  batch by batch and disable / enable..But selecting and pressing space does it for me perfectly!

ah yes for sure, you're right, presets are not meant for debugging, didn't know you were doing that. They are useful just for having group of addons that you enable frequently together 😉

8 minutes ago, Bad_T said:

ah yes for sure, you're right, presets are not meant for debugging, didn't know you were doing that. They are useful just for having group of addons that you enable frequently together 😉

your app saved me cause i am troubleshooting crash to desktop with nearly 500 mods...

oooops good luck ! 😱😱